Sanitary pouring surface for cans and the like



April 3, 1956 w. c. HUNTTING 2,740,547

SANITARY POURING SURFACE FOR CANS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 16, 1954 vINVENTOR.

WILLIAM C. Humwmc:r

AY'TJRNEY SANITARY POURIN G SURFACE. FOR, CANS AND THE LIKE William C.Huntting, Falmouth, Mass., assignor to llairy: mat Crp., Long IslandCity, N. Y., a corporation or New York Application February 16', 1954,Serial No. 410,585 1 Claim. (Cl- 2209-24) This invention relates to atab or cover strip, applicable to the surface of a can of the typeadapted to be punctured for removal of the contents. More particu-.larly, the invention has reference to a tab. which will maintain in asubstantially sterile condition that portion of the container surface inwhich the discharge and air vent openings are to be formed, until suchtime as the container is to be punctured and the contents thereofremoved.

Evaporated or condensed milk, and various other food products, arenormally sealed within a can, after which the can or container and itscontents are brought to a heat that sterilizes the contents and cleansthe outer surface of the container. At this stage, the container is in acompletely sanitary condition. However, after appli cation of a labelthereto, the container is packaged with others in a carton, and issubsequently removed and placed upon a store shelf or other exposedlocation where dirt or harmful bacteria can lodge upon the surfacethereof due to handling by store employees, customers, etc. As a result,when the container is punctured and the contents poured therefrom, saidcontents may pick up some of the dirt or other undesirable elements, tothe possible detriment of the users health.

The main object of the present invention, in view of the above, is toprovide a tab-like strip applicable to a container at the time thecontainer is still in a sanitary condition, and is being labeledpreliminary to packaging in a carton and shipment, which strip willsealably cover and maintain in a substantially sterile condition thatportion of the container surface which will subsequently be contacted bythe contents when the container is punctured and the contents are beingpoured.

Another object is to so design the strip as to promote not only ease ofapplication by the producer, but also ease of removal by the ultimateconsumer.

A further object is to prevent the strip from interfering with normalpackaging of the container in cartons, or with other conventionalmanufacturing and merchandising practices, by fashioning the strip as athin, fiat article that will lie flat upon the container surface andwill not define an undesirable projection thereupon.

Yet another object is to permit the strip, in at least one form of theinvention, to. be pressed back into position over the discharge and ventopenings, if only part of the contents are used, thus to protect theremaining portion of the contents pending eventual use thereof.

A further object of importance is to design the strip so that it can bemanufactured and applied with a minimum of expense, and so that it canin addition serve to carry printed or pictorial advertising matter.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

2,740,547 Patented Apr. 3, 1956 In the accompanying drawings forming amaterial part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container to which has been applied aprotective strip formed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view on line 22 of Fig. l,the dotted lines showing the strip lifted for pouring of the containercontents.

Fig. 3 is a bottom perspective view of the strip or tab per se, on anenlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modification.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view on line 5-5 of Pig. 4, the dottedlines showing the strip position when the contents are being poured.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged bottom form of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of a container and of anothermodified strip applied thereto, part of the strip being broken away.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view through the perspective view ofthe strip of Fig. 7 and container.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 in which the strip shown in Fig. 8has a modified tab applied thereto.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a container and of the protective stripof Figs. 7-9, showing the strip as it appears after a portion thereofhas been removed to permit pouring of the container contents.

The reference numeral 10 has been applied generally in the severalfigures of the drawing to a conventional container of the type used forevaporated milk or other food products. in Figs. 1 and 2, there has beenillustrated in applied position a protective cover strip 12 formed inaccordance with the invention. The strip can be formed of paper or likematerial, and in these figures of the drawing, is shown as having anelongated, rectangular configuration. The strip is bent downwardly atits ends when applied to the container, and thus, there is defined anelongated body 14 in the strip, said body extending diametrically acrossone end wall of the container in contact therewith.

The end portions defined by bending the strip have. been designated bythe reference numeral 16 and as shown, extend in contact with the sidewall of the container at diametrically opposite locations thereupon.

As shown in Fig. 3, the midlength part of body 14 is coated on itsunderside with adhesive as at 18, from side to side of the body, thisadhesively coated area merging into adhesively coated side areas 20ofthe. underside of the body. The areas 20, being confined to the.

longitudinal edge portions of the body, define at each end of the bodyclear or uncoated rnidwidth areas 2.2, the areas 22 overlying thoseportions of the container surface which are to be punctured when thecontents are to be poured.

The end portions 16 are coated with adhesive 24 from side to sidethereof, said adhesive terminating short of the free ends of endportions 16 to define uucoated areas, forming lifting tabs 26.

As previously noted herein, the strip is applied to the. top of the canwhile the can is still in a sanitary condition. Thereafter, since theparticular portions of the container that are to be punctured will becompletely surrounded by areas of the strip that are adhesively engagedwith the container surface, said container portions will be completelysealed against the admission of air and will be maintained in a sterilecondition.

When the consumer is about to open the container, it is necessary merelythat the lifting tabs 26 be grasped, and pulled upwardly, so as to peelthe strip away from the protected, spaced portions of the containersurface.

The strip will now be disposed as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, theonly part of the strip remaining in adherence to the container surfacebeing the midlength part 18.

The container may now be punctured at spaced locations to formdischargeand air vent openings 28, and the contents are poured from one of saidOpenings. if the full contents are not to be used, the strip ends arepressed back into their original positions, so as to sealably cover theopenings 28 until the remaining contents are to be dispensed.

In Figs. 4-6, the strip has been designated generally at 30, andincludes a tapering body 32 merging at its wider end into a dependingend portion 34 the inner surface of which is entirely coated withadhesive 36. The underside of the body is coated with adhesive 38 alongits longitudinal edges, the areas 38 merging at one end into theadhesively coated inner surface of end portion 34. At their other ends,the areas 33 merge into a narrow, transversely extending adhesivelycoated area extending from side to side of the body adjacent thenarrower end thereof. This defines a clear or uncoated center area 39 onthe underside of the body 32, which area 39 will be adapted to overlie aportion of the upper end wall of the container sufiicicnt for theformation of spaced openings therein.

The narrower end of the body, beyond the transversely extendingadhesively coated area, is left uncoated and is bendable upwardly toform a lifting tab 49.

In use of this form of the invention, the strip is applied to thecontainer as shown in Fig. 4, while the container is still sanitary.Subsequently, when the container is to be punctured, the lifting tab isgrasped, and the strip is peeled partially from the container to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. This exposes the portion ofthe container surface that was previously sealed by the adhesivelycoated strip areas bounding the same. and in this portion discharge andair vent openings 42 are formed.

As in the first form of the invention, the strip can be pressed backinto its original position if all the container contents are notdispensed on the initial use, to provide a seal for the puncturedcontainer.

in Figs. '7 and 8, there is shown another modification 4 2 the generalshape of the strip being the same as that shown in Figs. 4-6. The striphere includes a tapered body 46, and spaced a short distance inwardlyfrom and extending parallel to the periphery of the body is acontinuously extending scored or weakened line 43. The

wide end of the body is integral with a depending end portion 47, whichis wholly coated with adhesive on its inner surface for engaging theside wall of the container.

On its underside, the body 46 of the strip is coated with adhesive 50through its full periphery, the adhesive being confined to the spacebetween the line 43 and the edge of the body.

At the narrow end of the body, and disposed wholly within the areabounded by the weakened line 48, a tab 52 is secured. As a result, whenthe container is to be punctured, tab 52 is grasped, and upward pull isexerted thereupon. This tears the body along the weakened line, andpermits removal of the portion thereof bounded by the weakened line. Theadhesively coated marginal. portion of the strip will remain inengagement with the container, however, as shown in Fig. at 54.

The previously protectively sealed portion of the container surface willnow be exposed, andopenings 42. can be formed therein for pouring of thecontents.

In Fig. 9, the strip 56 has a body 58 and end portion 60, these beinglike those of the Fig. 7 form, so far as their outer configuration,location of the adhesively coated areas, and use of a. weakened line isconcerned. However, in this form, the tab 52 is not used, and instead,there is employed a lifting tab 62 formed from a small piece of fibrousstock having its inner edge undercut as at 64 for insertion of onesfingernail. Tab 62 is, of course, confined to the portion of the bodybounded by the weakened line.

In all forms of the invention, there is the common characteristic of astrip adhesively engaged with the container surface, and having uncoatedareas bounded entirely by adhesively coated areas, with said uncoatedareas overlying the portion of the container surface which is to bepunctured, thus causing said surface portion to be sealably protectedagainst the admission of air, dirt, or other deleterious elements.

It will be understood that the material from which the strip is formed,and the adhesive applied thereto, will be selected so as to benon-toxicand adhesive may be sprayed or otherwise applied to the desired areas.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of myinvention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to allchanges and modifications coming within the scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is:

The combination with a cylindrical container having a side wall and'atop wall and having portions of its top wall surface adapted to bepunctured for dispensing of its contents of a protective strip,comprising a body adapted to overlie said surface portion, at least oneend portion on the body being adhesively coated for engaging thecontainer, an adhesive coating on the body in areas bounding the part ofthe body overlying said surface portions, for sealably protecting saidsurface portions until the same is to be punctured, said strip having anelongated rectangular shape with depending end portions engaging theside Wall of the container, said end portions being adhesively coatedover part of their inner surfaces, and being clear of adhesive over theremaining part of their inner surfaces to define lifting tabs at theends of the strip, said body being adhesively coated over its full widthat its midlength location, and being coated only along its longitudinaledges at its ends to define clear areas at the ends of the body boundedentirely by adhesively coated areas,said clear areas of the bodyoverlying said surface portions of the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS506,982 Diamond Oct. 17, 1893 585,645 Achenbach July 6, 1897 1,915,503Schmidt June 27, 1933 1,967,978 Sprague July 24, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS393,199 Great Britain June 1, 1933

